Get the right people on the May 27, 2026

May 27, 2026

This is a truly daunting step for every founder but for a bootstrapped one the issue is you’re compounded by a severe lack of funds! Jim Collins in Good to Great states that the important thing is to first get the right people on the bus and then work out where its growing.  I would further that and argue that with a startup if you get the right people on the bus to begin with then the direction you need to will become self-evident- either way talent is key.

Every successful founder I interview when asked to identify the single most important trait that they look for mentions the importance curiosity and I’ve blogged on its importance previously https://www.linkedin.com/posts/bootstrapconfidential_why-is-every-founder-so-obsessed-with-curiosity-activity-7424771956480311296-bCRe?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAF1UkEBCY-a17j1ZdCo5zlZPvZI1z0Bcbk

Unfortunately, when you first start you are undoubtedly desperately short of funds and even curiosity looks like a luxury you can’t afford. While this can be seen as a hindrance it also gives a clean slate to start and build afresh. Jennie Moss, founder of Rethink Events, saw this as an advantage. Based in Brighton UK there wasn’t a ready pool of event management talent locally so she focused on bright flexible people who had no relevant experience but were passionate and also humble, people who ‘didn’t mind running the hoover around the office on a Friday evening.’ By building expertise from the ground up you ensure that not only is everyone behaving and delivering exactly as you want but also adhering to your cultural code. Importantly they don’t bring any baggage.

So how do you find these people and what do you look for? The first casualty in your search is experience for two reasons.  Firstly, people with experience inevitably cost too much for any small, bootstrapped startup. Secondly,  not only do they bring existing cultural experiences and practices with them, which you will undoubtedly have to unravel but worse  an existing mindset on how to do things. Almost all startups are disruptive by nature and by definition are challenging the status quo and standard practice of how to do things. The existing way of doing things is exactly what you are looking to overturn. Teaching an old dog new tricks can be painful and ultimately fruitless.

 You need to focus on people who for a variety of reasons do not cost a huge amount of money – graduate trainees who are new to the workforce, people who are unhappy and looking to take their career in a new direction or people who feel that they have been looked over and have point to prove. Luke Janssen, founder of Concentrix Tigerspike,says to look for people with a chip on their shoulder and I couldn’t agree more.  All of the above for differing reasons cost less, have open minds and a ready to learn attitude and the latter two bring experience, good and bad, that can be repurposed to your benefit.

I’m also a fan of PHDs: poor, hungry and determined. People who are in a rush to get on with life and make a mark or make something of themselves. People who are highly motivated to improve their situation. Although everyone says that they are, unfortunately, in practice they are often not willing to go the hard yards when it matters. While people from an affluent or privately educated background shouldn’t be completely dismissed, they frequently haven’t had to really develop resilience and overcome challenges with the result they falter when the going gets tough, which it invariably will.

As a bootstrapper you’re always looking for new sources of learning and inspiration. When we poached our US head from the White House, he had just finished heading up a 24-month business task force for the Obama administration.

President Obama and the White House Initiative

When he took office, President Obama wanted to know what had happened to all their supporters. While they were campaigning, they could mobilise vast numbers of people of all skills to work long hours on the campaign, but as soon as Obama was elected, all these people seemed to disappear. It turned out that while working for a candidate had great appeal, working for the federal government was apparently a lot less desirable.

So the new president set up a task force of top CEOs from 20 or so leading companies like Disney, Red Cross and JPMorgan to study best practices for creating a new work programme that attracted the most talented people.

This is what our US head had been running for the White House for 24 months, and his task force’s findings were fascinating.

One key finding was that it was a wise tactic to hire for smart and nice. This succinct advice came from the woman who had headed up the American Red Cross. If they’re smart, then they’ll figure things out themselves, and if they’re nice, then people will help them when they can’t figure it out. So if they have both these qualities, then they will always be able to get things done. These are great traits to look for.

So you need to find bright passionate flexibly people who are open minded to trying new things and incredibly resilient. It’s not easy! Again every founder I interview talks about how often they got it wrong to begin with so don’t get despondent when it doesn’t always work out. This is simply a fact of being a founder. The important thing is to focus on keeping doing this, learning what worked and didn’t work as you go without spending too much capital or succumbing to the allure of high cost experience while you build your team.

This is one of the most fun parts of being a founder and once you get the right people on the bus it will absolutely take off 😊